Picture-exhibitor.



A. M. BECKER. PICTURE EXHIBITOR.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 19, 1912. 1,057,993. Patented Apnl, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. M. BECKER. PIGTURE EXHIBITOR.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 19, 1912. 1,057,993. Patented Apr. 1, 1913.

2 SHEETFBHEET 2.

- f J i. 42 fi ,9 wimmeoz COLUMBJA PLANOGRAPH CO., WASHINGTON, p. q.

UNITE STATES PATENT oFFicE.

AUGUST M. BECKER, OF CLIFFSIDE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO FRANK OF CLIFFSIDE, NEW JERSEY.

a. BECKER,

PICTURE EXHlBIToR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 1,1913.

Continuation of application Serial No. 487,432, filed April 2, 1909. This application filed. October 19, 1912.

Serial No. 726,729.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST M.' BnoKnn, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Clifi'side, county of Hudson, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Picture- Exhibitors, of which the following is a specification. 4 Thls invention relates to'certain improvements in picture-exhibitors of that class in which a plurality of picture-exhibiting frames are arranged 1n a casing and engaged by means of bent lever-arms which engage one frame after theother and lift it over the top of the casing to the upper front-part of the same and retain it in this position until the next following exhibiting frame tilts it over, exhibiting the rearpa rt' of the picture-exhibiting frame at the frontpart of the casing, to be then returned along inclined ways at the interior of the casing to the rear-part of the same in such a man-.

part of the casing for carrying the frames.

in backward direction, lever-arms by which they are engaged and lifted over the top of the casing to the upper front-part of the same, means for retaining the frames at the upper front-part for exhibition and means for tilting the same in downward direction by thenext succeeding exhibiting-frame so as tobe returned to and along the ways to the rear-part of the casing.

The invention consists further of the arrangement of, a casing provided with a hinged and spring-actuated rear-wall provided with upwardly and outwardly-bent lugs near its upper corners which are engaged by the operating lever-arms for swinging back the rear-wall and permitting engagement with the ears of the rearmost picture-frame; and the invention consists lastly of certain details of construction which will be fully described hereinafter and finally pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my improved picture-exhibitor, shown in closed position, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the same, showing the hinged front-wall or cover in open position and one of the picture-exhibiting frames in position at the upper front-part of the casing, Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the picture-exhibiting frames, detached from the casing, Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section of the exhibitor, taken on line 4, 4, Fig. 2, Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section of the operating mechanism of the picture-exhibitor on line 5, 5, Fig. 4, drawn on a larger scale, and Fig. 6 is a rear-elevation of the upper part of the exhibitor, also drawn on alarger scale.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, a represents the casing of my improved picture-exhibitor, which consists of a base oi two upright side-walls a and a rounded-0E top 0E. The side-walls a of the casing a are provided at their upper interior parts with ways I) which are inclined from the front toward the rear, and which are preferably vmade of stout sheet-metal strips or other suitable material, said ways serving for returning the picture-exhibiting frames f, which are provided with U-shaped wire-ears f attached to their upper corners, from, the forwardend of the casing toward the rear-end of the same. The front-ends of the inclined ways I) are provided with upwardly-bent guidearms 6 which are providedwith ball-shaped ends 5 and with notches b at their inner edges. The guide-arms b serve to take up the ears 7 of the picture-exhibiting frames f so as toguide them onto the inclined ways 7). The rear-ends of the inclined ways are provided with upwardly-bent stops 6 which serve to arrest the ears of the picture-frames f when they arrive at their rearmost position.

In suitable bearings in the upper parts of the side-walls a of the casing 60 are supported lever-arms (Z, which are bent inwardly at their rear-ends and provided with fixed hooks al which serve to engage the wireears of the plcture-frames f and lift them away from the rear-stops b of the inclined guideways b. The inner ends of the leverarms (Z are connected by a transverse rod (P so that both le'ver-arms cl are operated together. One of the lever-arms (Z is provided on its outer part with a button (Z by which the lever-arm is taken hold of for moving it backward so as to take hold of the rearmost picture-frame in the casing and then forward so as to bring it over the top into inclined position on the front-arms, as shown in Fig. 4:.

To the front-part of the casing is applied a lid which is hinged to the base of the casing and provided with a hinged catch 9 having an opening, at its upper end for engaging a stud on the front-part of the casing when the exhibitor is not in use.

To the lower rear-part of the base a is hinged a rear-wall or cover 71. which is provided at its upper part with inwardly and outwardly-bent lugs ]L1 that are engaged by the lever-arms (Z when they are swung into their rearmost position. The lower part of the hinged rear-cover 71. is connected by a strong spring 72 with a fixed point on the bottom of the casing so as to draw the rearcover inwardly and hold the same in closed position. When thelever-arms are moved in backward position so as to engage the ears of a picture-exhibiting frame, they press on the outwardly-curved lugs 72 and move the rear-cover back against the tension of its spring so as to enter between the side walls and rear-cover. The lever-arms are then moved into downward position until they arrive in recesses lbs of the side-walls. In this position, the hook-shaped ends of the lever arms (Z engage the ears of .the rear-most picture-frame f which is then lifted away from the guide-ways 6 over the rear-stops b of the same by the upward and forward motion of the lever arms, and moved over the rounded-off top-part of the casing, the pictilrewframe pressing the rear-cover sufficiently back, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, until the frame arrives at the front part of the casing and the ears of the frame are taken up by the notches of the front guide-arms and held in inclined position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4:- When the pictureframe is in this position, the pictures in the same can be inspected, while the pictures i11- serted in the rear-side of the foremost picture-frame on the guide-ways are exhibited below the same. The lever-arms (Z are then moved back into their rearmost position so as to take up the next picture-frame f which, when brought over the top, produces the tilting of the picture'frame then in inclined position on the guide-arms b so that the latter is tilted over the guide-arms, and placed by its ears on the guideways f on the side-walls, sliding backward thereon. One picture-frame after the other is thus carried over the top-part of the casing for exhibition and tilted by the next following frame so as to be placed on the guide-ways and returned over the same toward the rear of the casing. During the taking up of the picture-frames by the lever-arms, the rear-cover is pressed back sufliciently so as to permit the picture-frames to be moved over the top of the casing, the rear cover following, so to say, the motion of the picture-frame, and closing again after the picture is brought over to the front-part of the casing, against the side-walls of the casing, so as to keep the rear-part of the casing closed and prevent the inspection of the pictures from the rear of the casing.

The exhibitor can be used on a smaller scale for photographs, picture-postcards, and the like and on a larger scale for advertising purposes in connection with larger sized pictorial or other advertisements, in which case motion may be imparted to the lever-arms by a spring, electric or other motor in connection with suitable actuating mechanism.

An application for a patent for my improved picture -exhibitor was originally filed on April 2, 1909, Serial No. 487,432, this present application being a continuation of said prior application.

Havlng thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A picture exhibitor consisting of a casing, open at the front and rear and having a curved top, inclined ways having bent up front ends each having a notch therein, a plurality of picture-frames having, at the upper corners, projecting ears guided in said ways, and means for engaging the ears of the rear-most of said frames, and swinging the frame over the top of the casing, until said ears engage in said notches, whereby said frame is held upon said top in position to be viewed.

2. A picture-exhibitor consisting of a casing open at the front and rear and having a curved top, inclined ways at the upper part of said casing, said inclined ways having bent-up and notched front guide-rods and stop-arms at the rearends, a plurality of picture frames provided with projecting ears at their upper corners and guided on said ways, and pivoted lever-arms having inwardly bent rear-ends and take up hooks adapted to loosely engage the ears on said frames and swing them in upward direction over and into engagement with said top and into reversed position with one edge resting in the notches of the guide-rods at the upper front-part of the casing.

3. A picture-exhibitor consisting of a casing open at the front and rear and having a curved top, inclined ways at the upper part of said casing, said inclined ways having bent-up and notched front guide-rods and stop-arms at the rear-ends, a plurality of picture-frames provided with projecting ears at their upper corners and guided on said ways, pivoted leverarms having inwardly-bent rear-ends and take-up hooks adapted to loosely engage the ears on said frames, and means for swinging said leverarms and picture-frames in upward direction over the top of the casing for moving said picture-frames over and into engagement with said curved top and bringing them into reversed position with one edge resting in the notches of the guide-rods at the upper front-part of the casing and for tilting said frames from their upper position in downward direction so as to return them to the inclined ways.

4:. A picture-exhibitor consisting of a casing open at the front and rear and having a curved top, inclined ways at the upper part of said casing, said inclined ways having bent-up and notched front guide-rods and stop-arms at the rear-ends, a plurality of picture-frames provided with projecting ears at their upper corners and guided on said ways, pivoted lever-arms having inwardly-bent rearends and take-up hooks adapted to loosely engage the ears on said frames, and means for swinging said leverarms in upward direction over the top of the casing to move the picture-frames over and into contact with said curved top and bring them into reversed position with one edge ing of the same on the actuation of the leverrods.

6. In a picture-exhibitor, the combination, with a casing open at the front and rear, picture-frames in said casing, of pivoted leverarms having inwardly-bent rear-ends, means for swinging said lever-arms in forward or backward direction, and a hinged and spring actuated rear cover provided with outwardly-bent lugs at its upper end adapted to be engaged by the rear-ends of the lever-arms for moving the rear-cover in backward posit-ion during the swinging of the picture-frames by the lever-arms over the top of the casing.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AUGUST M. BECKER.

Witnesses:

PAUL GOEPEL, JOHN MURTAGH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

